


Seeking: Family

by MagpieMorality



Series: Writepie Prompt Fills [57]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Neglect, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Foster Dad Patton, Foster Kids Creativitwins, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not the abuse itself but that will be referenced throughout, Separation Anxiety, This will be about the recovery, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpieMorality/pseuds/MagpieMorality
Summary: Remy is running out of options to get the twins in his care out into a stable home and family. They're uncooperative, hurt and have nothing left to lose but each other and have driven off every potential foster parent in town and beyond.The task falls to Patton to answer their and Remy's cries for help, unspoken though they may be.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Series: Writepie Prompt Fills [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638634
Comments: 133
Kudos: 220





	1. One Last Chance

**Author's Note:**

> From this prompt:
> 
> Roman and Remus came from a horrible family, Roman was always being pressured to be a perfect kid while their parents completely gave up on raising Remus so they just make sure he's alive and that's it for him. They parents fight a lot, to the point where the police is called and the twins are taken from then. After some time a couple ends up adopting them and they can finally understand what a normal family looks and feels like.

_“Oh we’re not looking for two of them together right now...”  
_

_“Actually, we were thinking more- young?”  
_

_“They’re unmanageable! We had to leave the restaurant-!”_

In the corner of the reception seating the two boys subtly high-fived, grinning at each other as they waited to be called in once the angry lady had stomped off. Another potential prison guard chased off. 

“Boys,” Remy cleared his throat from the doorway and they looked up, matching images of pure innocence. The leader of their little halfway house was not impressed and jerked his head to get them to follow him into his office, waving them onto the little couch and sitting in the chair next to them. “This is the fourth potential foster home you’ve deliberately sabotaged. Do you understand what that means?” 

Remus bared his teeth in a feral grin and Roman snickered. “Means we’re too much for them,” the first twin said, distinguishable by the yellow streak in his hair where he’d experimented with a box of hair bleach a few weeks ago. Most of it had ended up somehow in the shampoo bottle of the mild middle-aged couple who had been hosting them for a trial period. That had been the end of number three. 

Remy pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “It means there are less and less options for me to apply to for you both. It means that you might have to go to a fulltime place. It _means_ that you may need to be separated, or-”

“No!” Roman shouted over him, standing up with rage while Remus slapped his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. “ _No one splits us up_!”

In the following silence the only noise was the faint sound of Remus’s panicked breathing. Roman glared at Remy, sitting down to hug his brother tightly, and Remy just... sighed. “It’s not like it would be my choice, guys. I want for you to have somewhere to go together, where you’ll be safe and looked after well. But you’ve gotta be on board with that too or there’s not much I can do. Look,” he added, leaning forwards to rest his hands on a shoulder each. “Work with me. I’ll get you another option, I swear I don’t know how but I will, and please, give them a shot? Just for a while. Don’t take this the wrong way but I really don’t want to see your faces around here much more.” 

He let the twins sit and absorb the seriousness of the situation, moving over to the desk to start clicking away at his computer, hoping for a miracle from above or heck, below at this stage. His patience was rewarded when a few moments later the twins started whispering together, and when Remy glanced up from the screen to see them both stood in front of the desk, he felt a little bit of hope grow. 

Remus sniffed and rubbed his face roughly, shoulders laden with Roman’s arm. “Okay we’ll try,” Roman said, glancing at his brother around the room quickly, unable as usual to make much direct eye contact. “We promise”. 

Children, they were just _children_ , Remy thought, looking at them both and cursing- as he often did- the awful people who had led them to be here instead of living normal lives in a normal, loving home.

They ran upstairs when he waved them off to get started on searching, making a list of criteria he would aim to fill. There was no harm being optimistic after all, and there were enough potentials available if he widened the search a little. 

Someone that was kind, and understanding but not a pushover because the twins would absolutely take advantage of that. They needed a firm but loving hand, ideally maybe an experienced couple to take on two adolescent boys at once, and someone with decent access to a good children’s therapist. 

He never expected the perfect match to be... _Patton_. 


	2. Professional Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Patton. Remy observes and comes to a decision. The boys mull things over.

Patton wasn't like some of the other foster parents Remy had met. He was a little chaotic, a little too earnest, and very noticeably single. Not that that was a bad thing; it was just unusual in their little conventional town.

But Patton was Qualified, with a capital Q. He had several years of experience and had just let go of more long term foster to send the kid off to college very successfully, and most importantly Emile trusted him. So when Patton showed up for the initial interview Remy was ready to beg him for his help on the spot, and he'd prepped the boys as much as possible to make sure this time went just so.

"Oh gosh, sorry!" Patton said, dabbing at the bits of hot tea he'd spilled out of his cutesy reusable mug when he'd sat down too fast at Remy's desk. Remy just smiled at him. "I was so glad to get your call! Thomas only just left a few months back but it's already so quiet around the house, and of course I'd never _hope_ for kids to have to end up with me but I just- I chose this job for a reason and I want to be helping as much as I can, you know?"

Remy nodded, half in love with the man despite his own rampant distaste for such things.

"So, what have you got for me?" Patton finished, sipping his tea and blinking at the house leader from behind his round, gold-rimmed glasses.

To business. "There are two boys, twins. Fourteen, nearly fifteen, and... difficult." The men shared a glance- Patton grimaced and Remy just sighed. They both knew what difficult meant. "So we're struggling to place them anywhere, of course, and they aren't exactly helping the process. I've managed to get them to agree to put some effort in because really, we're looking at splitting them or sending them so someone with some discipline and I don't think I need to tell you I'd rather they were apart and happy than somewhere like... Yeah."

Patton's face darkened momentarily and he was serious as he nodded. "Understood. Behavioural issues then? Just acting out, or anything dangerous?"

"Just acting out, for now," Remy assured him quickly. "Strong signs of separation anxiety, probably various levels of trauma related to all sorts of things." He rubbed his eyes briefly. "Emile hasn't been able to see them, and with the whole uncertainty of where they'll be there hasn't been a stable time to bring up sessions with them. I'm not sure how they'll react honestly..."

The foster father snorted softly, sipping at his tea with a distant look in his eyes. "Not well, I'd imagine." He blinked back to the present situation and put the mug down, clasping his hands together in his lap. "Can I meet them then?"

"What, now?"

"No time like the present!" Patton chirped. It almost made the other man laugh, impressed and soothed by the positivity. Maybe this would turn out to be the one for the twins after all.

* * *

The boys looked less convinced when he coaxed them down out of their room to meet their next potential home. Patton stood up to greet them, moving forwards with enthusiasm but careful, slow movements, holding a hand out for them to take if they wanted.

They didn't, but he didn't falter, and tucked his hands back into his pants pockets instead, smiling as he asked their names, introduced himself, and went into a short spiel to get them up to speed. "It's just me at my house, my last foster Thomas just left for college! I always wanted to get a dog though, but Thomas was allergic. Are either of you allergic?"

Remus perked up slowly, warming the cockles of Remy's heart as he subtly took down notes on the interaction. He wasn't allergic to dogs, but he preferred cats. Roman was the dog lover- Roman had yet to say anything beyond his name and Remy added that note to his file- and they'd never been allowed a pet as kids.

After a few minutes of talking Patton guided them easily over to the couch and chair in the corner, getting comfy with his tea and working a whole heap of miracles to get Remus enthusing about his latest fixation, which was apparently slime and slide videos. Roman stayed quiet, but he did flash a quick, tight smile when Remy cut in after letting the conversation go on for over half an hour, sloping off with Remus on his heels to retreat upstairs again.

"I've never seen them like that," Remy admitted, putting his pen down and dropping his face into his hands. From behind them he added, "it was amazing," and although the words were muffled Patton caught them well enough to grin shyly.

"Do you really think it went well? I couldn't tell; Roman was very hesitant to engage, but Remus was very sweet! I'd-" Remy looked up again when Patton hesitated to see the man looking at his bamboo cup with a determined set to his jaw. "I'd like to take them for the trial as soon as possible. Perhaps tomorrow, if they agree, so they have a night of adjusting to the idea first. If you're happy with the arrangement, of course!"

Remy had never been _happier._

* * *

“I don’t know,” Roman whispered in the dark that night, squeezing himself tightly against Remus on the bed that was supposed to be just his. They’d never bothered using Remus’s bed at all, scooting over and clinging together from the first night they’d been dropped here, out of their own miserable home but together and somewhere where the night didn’t ring with shouts at last. “He seems weird. What if he’s just like the others?”

Where Roman was hesitant, Remus was busy imagining their future with Patton already. Or he would’ve been, had Roman’s opinion not mattered more to him than his own, by a mile. “But he was friendly, broski, wasn’t he? He listened. I like the way he listens, it feels nice.”

“They always feel nice when they listen, you’re just a child of neglect,” Roman snarked and Remus rolled his eyes. It wasn’t untrue after all, and they’d never been anything but bleakly honest with each other, after the first disastrous mess of trying to hide the way they felt.

What a shitshow that had been.

“I might be like, chronically desperate for affection but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid, Roman. He was nice! He wanted to hear about the slime, and he didn’t make us do hugs or talk too much. He let you sit there and sulk and he didn’t say anything about it at all. Maybe he’ll be a good guy-”

“Remy is a good guy! Why can’t we stay here?!” Roman hissed. “It’s not fair they want to… _want to_ …” His breath hitched and Remus quickly rolled over, clutching hold of him and pressing his face to Roman’s hair.

Nothing needed to be said; they had already agreed that if anyone tried to separate them they would make a break for it. And if things got a little more serious then they had several plans for how to break out of various places and secret meeting places dotted around the surrounding towns that they’d picked on Google maps the same night Remy had told them about their last chance.

They would not be split. Not again.

Roman sniffed, letting Remus take hold of him and keep him together for a bit. “Do you really think we should go with him?” He asked, voice muffled in Remus’s shoulder.

“I think it can’t hurt. Maybe he’ll be nice for a bit. Maybe he’ll get a dog for you to play with! Maybe we can just execute order sixty-nine again.”

“I thought we said it was called order two?”

“Sixty-nine is funnier. Besides, with revisions it reached like, forty at least.”

They fell quiet, thinking back to plans and problems of days now hopefully past. Of parents and pain and future possibilities to come. Maybe Patton would be that for them.

Remus yawned, easing away from the tight hold so he could get comfortable, squeezing Roman’s shoulder in the dark. “Night Prince Roman,” he whispered.

“Night Duke Remus,” Roman replied quietly, completing the nightly ritual and allowing himself to drift off to sleep.


	3. Homeward Bound?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From one not-quite home to another.

So they were going home with Patton on trial. It was happening.

They’d debriefed in the morning about the process, talking it through with Remy, who was secretly a little sad to see them go. Packing never took long with kids at the halfway house, so rather than be sent to do that they were just told to hang out until Patton could pick them up after lunch.

Remus’s head perked right up like an excited puppy when he heard the sound of a car door closing outside, squirming in place on the waiting room couch with Roman slouching by his side, hoodie firmly up. He was, apparently, making a Point or something, maybe a silent protest? Remus wasn’t entirely sure, but he would support it anyway. But also Patton was there!

Parents gave Remus weird feelings mostly, but Patton had brought out something completely different. It was weird, and he was a little embarrassed, but he’d almost felt like he could even ask Patton for a hug during their very first and he would’ve been given one. Amazing. How could he not be instantly addicted to that euphoric, exciting new fluttering of hope in his chest?

If only Roman felt the same way.

“Hey kiddos!” Patton said when he got through the door, waving but (oh gosh Remus really liked him) not rushing over to crowd them. “I’ve left the car unlocked, why don’t you go drop your bags in there and come say bye to Remy when I’ve signed everything?”

Remus felt the weight of Patton’s eyes as he rushed to do as asked, dragging the sullen Roman along with him in his eagerness.

“He’s not grading you on your performance Remus, jeez,” Roman grumbled, dragging his heels deliberately. “I suppose you’ll wanna sit up shotgun with him too, chat to your new bestie on the ride home…”

“Dad said it was polite not to make a driver feel like a taxi-”

Woops. Wrong thing to say. Roman rounded on him, throwing his bag to the ground, his metaphorical hackles up in less than a second despite the origin of the comment. “Dad said a lot of stupid things, Remus. We don’t listen to them, remember?!”

“Yeah, sorry, I just-”

“Don’t bring them up. It’s our deal. Jeez, this guy really changed you already.”

Remus wilted, hanging his head and pulling his back up higher on his shoulder as he stared at Roman’s ratty sneakers. Silence was best, always best.

Above him, Roman sighed. “Shit, no. Remus I’m sorry, I overreacted again. Um, treaty?” He offered, holding his arm out. Remus shuffled under it quickly, hooking his chin over Roman’s shoulder. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be like that to you.”

“Sorry for talking about him,” Remus responded, equally softly, glancing at his twin when he stepped back. “I’ll try and cool it with Patton, until he really proves himself, okay? But it’s hard.”

“I know. You’re-” Roman’s face twisted briefly with uncertainty before hardening again with resolve. “You’re doing real good, Remus. Yeah?”

His twin smiled bashfully at him. “Yeah. Now let’s go, Remy is probably thinking we’ve done a runner!”

Remy had, funnily enough, not assumed they’d run away just yet. He looked up over his glasses when they came into the office, giving them both the usual nod and smile, and finishing up the papers with Patton.

“Hey guys, have a seat while we sort this stuff out, okay?” Patton loudly whispered to them, as though he was trying not to interrupt some sort of important proceedings, which of course these were not. Remus smothered the urge to giggle giddily, and they played a fierce words with friends battle for a few minutes until the adults stood up and shook hands over the table. “Okay boys, who’s ready to go?”

“I hope to hear only good things from you both now,” Remy warned, meeting them by the door and holding his hand out for them to shake one by one, something both twins managed to do so without much hesitation. “But no news is often good news too. Remember as always that you can contact me in emergencies, and we’ll do your review of Patton’s house in a week. You all set?”

He looked at Roman, hands shoved in his jacket and trying to look more cool and tough than he really was, and Remus, clinging to his brother’s elbow and bouncing a little on his toes in excitement. Remus thought he saw fondness in his eyes as he nodded at them and opened the door to show the trio out.

“Bye now!” Patton called, steps light up the garden path to the car. He barely glanced at the two bags on the backseat, nor did he blink an eye when the two boys slid in side by side by their bags. “Don’t forget to seatbelt up, kiddos. It’s not too far but safety first!”

Their new carer chattered the whole way there, even though he struggled to engage even Remus in conversation this time round. Remus was more interested in sticking tight to Roman’s side, watching Patton carefully in the rearview mirror while Roman stared moodily out of the window like the drama king he was at heart.

* * *

Neighbourhoods passed by, clean and perfectly average and very suburban, much like the house they stopped outside. Remus personally thought it looked like a slice of heaven, or a nineties kids’ movie come to life, blue door and windows and flowerboxes and all.

There was even a picket fence, although it was just a plain wood rather than the traditional white paint. Roman still scoffed at it as they walked through and up to the house, reaching for his brother’s hand with wide eyes so they could step through the door together.

Inside was almost as much of a paradise, and the two boys stayed close as they followed Patton through to the living room. He got them sat down and went to fetch some glasses of water, leaving them with a printed list of house rules and etiquette.

The mere sight of it made Roman’s hands sweaty, and he shoved it towards Remus quickly, swallowing against the nausea that had abruptly risen. “You read it.”

“It says… huh.”

Roman’s eyes shot his way but Remus didn’t look bothered at all. “It says what?”

“Nothing much, really. Shoes off in the house, chores to be agreed on and split between all household on a weekly rota, no loud noises after ten because the neighbours have a baby, um, homework to be done… that kind of stuff. It’s not- it’s not _rules_ , Ro. You’re all good there.”

Patton cleared his throat to interrupt them gently, handing the glasses over and sitting comfortably on a big floor cushion in front of the couch they’d carefully perched themselves on. “That’s a list from when Thomas was living with me, actually. But it worked really well for the two of us so I wanted you to get an idea of what things are like around here. We’ll start as we mean to go on, but it is Friday so we’ll write the weekend off as a freebie to get used to the place.”

Roman’s hands felt drier already. That was… really reassuring actually.

“Where do we sleep?” Remus asked, sipping his water politely. Patton smiled and crossed his legs loosely, which made Roman wonder how old this guy was. He didn’t act like the middle-aged stuffy couples they’d mostly had before, but he had apparently fostered a kid for a few years, and that hadn’t been his first. Roman would have to snoop and find out somehow. It could be useful information.

Patton’s reply broke his train of thought. “Well, we’ll do a quick house tour once you’ve got comfortable, shoes off is non-negotiable I’m afraid guys, this floor doesn’t clean itself! And then you can see what you think about sleeping arrangements. I’ve got two rooms but they’re both pretty plain, so you can pick which one you guys prefer. Tomorrow we’ll go shopping for some decor. Even if you end up deciding you don’t want to stay, it’s good to have spare bedding and things!”

Even if… Roman’s thoughts spiralled again. Even if _you_ end up deciding? As though it was going to be their choice and not the adult’s. Hah! As if. But what if?

He filed that information away, and got up to toe his shoes off in the little hallway, potential plans forming quickly in his imagination. Just in case.


	4. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through the trial week, it's time to make first contact with Roman.

"Dinner's ready!" Patton called up the stairs, heading back into the kitchen to wash his hands.

Remus came clattering down the stairs, first, bouncing into the kitchen with the same boundless energy as ever. He grinned sheepishly at Patton and grabbed his plate to load up with the spaghetti on offer. "You eat like a bottomless pit, kid! There's more for seconds if you want it," Patton laughed, laying a light hand on Remus's shoulder briefly and kindly ignoring the way he'd flinched a little at the first comment. "Where's that brother of yours then?"

"Oh, he's just finishing… something," Remus tried to cover, but he couldn't think of anything in time and just weakly smiled instead, darting off to the dinner table. Patton glanced up at the ceiling and twisted his mouth, wondering when the right time would be to talk to Roman properly. He'd left the boy mostly alone for the last few days, letting the muttered snipes and his general prickliness go. It was only day what, four? There was still time, and often time was exactly what these kids needed most.

Still, best to make sure he ate in the meantime though. "Roman?" Patton called up the stairs. No reply, until he went all the way up and knocked gently on the door to Roman's chosen room, directly opposite Remus's. "Hey kid, there's food downstairs. You gotta make sure you eat, okay? Come on down now."

He heard movement from inside and then Roman yanked the door open, glaring at him. "I don't have to do shit, actually," he snapped. Patton raised an eyebrow. It wasn't the ideal time to do this, but it was the one Roman had chosen and that was the most important thing. "Stop treating me like you're our dad, okay?!"

Patton took a deep breath and looked back calmly. It had been so long since he'd had to deal with this, but despite their harmonious last few years Thomas had had a tough start as well. "First I want to make sure you've eaten. You can be mad at me as much as you like but you need to have some dinner anyway, okay? I might not be your dad but you are still a kid and you need feeding. That one is non-negotiable, I'm afraid."

They looked at each other before Roman caved, stomping downstairs and clattering around the kitchen. Patton followed, making sure to give off nothing but calm and smiles. Remus could easily sense his brother's tension and his laughter was a little manic, eyes flitting between the other two at the table.

* * *

"So what are you looking forwards to for getting back to school?" Patton asked about halfway through the meal. "Do either of you do any extracurriculars?"

"I like woodshop! And I- well I mean Roman does performance club and varsity sports, and he's really good too. He'll get a scholarship for sure, hopefully anyway, but-"

"I'm not doing varsity anymore," Roman announced.

They both looked at him, and he looked at his pasta. "But you love sports! You're the baseball shortstop!" Remus cried, looking… more devastated than he should under the circumstances.

"Yeah well not anymore. And no one can make me."

Patton stayed quiet, waiting until they were finished with their food before asking Remus if he'd be able to take Patton's washing up slot for the evening in return for Patton doing his hoovering the next day. With a quick glance between the other two Remus nodded, hurrying out with their bowls.

"Roman. Would you like to talk here, in the living room or in your bedroom?" Patton asked.

"Living room."

"Okay. Do you want a glass of water before we go in or do you want to get started right away?"

"… Right away."

Patton nodded, heading in to the living room and sitting on the floor where he preferred to be. Roman took the couch, drawing his legs up and holding onto his shins as he waited quietly. "Hey, this is nothing to be scared of, okay?" Patton said gently. "You have the right to be angry, and tell me about it, but I would also like to be listened to, okay? Why don't you go first? What are you finding most difficult about being here?"

"I don't- it's not difficult. It's fine, you're fine. Can I just go to my room?"

"Okay, why don't we try this another way. Can I come sit up there with you?"

Roman nodded, and Patton moved, putting a little distance between them for Roman's comfort. "I'm gonna ask some questions as prompts, and I'd like you to try your best to answer them as honestly as you can. Don't worry if the answer is 'I don't know'. I'm not going to use anything against you and I'm not gonna get made either, okay kiddo?" Roman nodded again, picking at his socks nervously.

"Do you feel uncomfortable in my home?"

"No," Roman whispered. A good start.

"Do you want to leave?" Patton checked, because a no to the first didn't mean a no to that.

Roman hesitated, but the noises of plates being loaded into the dishwasher in the kitchen drew his eyes, and he shook his head.

Okay, that was a foundation they could build from. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better here?"

The boy looked at him with a frown, the confusion clear in his eyes. "I mean," Patton added. "Are there any behaviours that you want to talk about, or boundaries to set? Words to avoid, that kind of thing."

"Uh, no. No that's okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments as Roman started processing how… not bad things were.

"One last question for you then, because this is something we try and get sorted for all the kids that come through the system; do you feel ready to come along with me to meet Dr. Picani for an introductory session tomorrow?"

The way Roman reacted was incredibly interesting and Patton made a note to mention it to Emile when he next saw him, whether or not that ended up being the following day. The boy looked at his feet and barked out a laugh, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn't open them again, and when Patton quietly warned him he was going to touch him and laid a hand on his back Roman just didn't move.

He came back after maybe a minute, just blinking his eyes open as though nothing had happened and shrugging once, conveniently knocking Patton's hand off with the motion. "Sure. Maybe he can fix all... this." Roman waved at himself vaguely.

Now wasn't the moment to try and break down that misconception, and Emile was the professional there, but Patton's heart ached to feel the waves of negativity coming off the boy, enough to drown him in sorrow. 

"Can I give you a hug before I talk a bit, Roman?" He asked softly, but Roman shook his head emphatically. Okay then. "I'm going to act like what you call 'your dad' because that is what my job is here, kiddo. I am going to look after you and take care of you and make sure you're fed and happy because that is what you basically deserve and what you fundamentally require to stay alive. I can't change that, all I ask is that you try to see that as stuff that I'm not doing to be your parent, but to be the adult who is responsible for you.

If there's anything that gets too much then I would love for you to tell me, and of course I hope you'll both want to stay for as long as you're under eighteen, but I know things might change and if you feel that they have then it's your right to tell me without me getting mad.

And if you want get more from me then you only have to ask and we can discuss that." He ran his fingers through his hair. "In fact that's maybe the main thing I wanted to let you know; you can always ask to talk about it. No matter what it is I'll listen, and then we can deal with whatever it might be together."

Roman was looking at him, a good sign, and Patton finished off before he lost the teenager's focus again. "In the meantime, I'd like to try having us be polite to each other, and I want to give you a heads up that, if that's how things turn out- I might not be the same with you as with Remus. You're both taking things at different paces, but that doesn't mean that can't change, either. I'm sure you know he's a bit more of a hugger than you," he teased gently. "But just because we're not there yet doesn't mean I care for you any less. You're just as important as each other, to me."

Outside the door there was a faint creak that Patton knew meant a pair of feet were trying not to move on the other side, an ear straining to hear through the door. He would have a similar discussion with Remus as soon as possible, but for now he just concentrated on the twin beside him. "I'm going to offer a hug again. Would you like one?"

Roman hesitated, but shook his head for a second time, glancing at Patton out of the corner of his eyes, while the adult made sure to just serenely smile. "Okay. Thanks for talking about this with me. I'll call Dr. Picani now about an appointment tomorrow. If you two can agree on a movie we can get out some of the froyo again, alright?"

He watched the boy hurry away, sitting back on the couch for a moment and just breathing. He needed to be calm to call Emile or the therapist would know straight away, and that was a conversation he wanted to have in person.

These boys weren't going to be easy, but he may have underestimated how difficult 'not easy' was going to be. Good thing he had patience and a hell of a stubborn streak, as well as a fantastic team for backup.

Lord knew they'd need it in the coming months.


	5. Enter Picani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapist extraordinaire takes on meeting one. But there's interesting happenings outside the room too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: panic attack, separation anxiety, implied previous breaching of doctor/patient confidentiality

Movie night went… well, actually. Roman was quiet, cuddling into Remus's side as they shared one of the couches, but they both laughed and muttered along to the kids movie they'd picked, and Patton had heard them chatting comfortably in the kitchen while they supervised the popcorn process.

The next morning he heard back from Emile about the voicemail he'd left. There was an appointment available during Emile's lunch, that he usually left in case of emergencies like this one. He had time to fit both twins individually if Remus wanted to come along too, and Patton could call in for an appointment of his own when the boys went to Remy's for their end of the week assessment.

Patton wasn't sure how to approach Remus. The boy was clearly starving for every drop of affection and kind parenting he gave him, thriving on the praise and thanks after a job well done. He'd damn near whimpered when Patton had thanked him again for swapping chores so the adult could talk to his twin, and had even tried to take on the hoovering, craving the validation.

He'd been kind but firm then, letting Remus know that this was a deal and it was meant to be kept to, because Patton was an equal member of the household and had his own share of the responsibilities. Remus didn't understand yet but he didn't have to do chores to earn affection, and it needed to be made clear from the start.

But how to broach the subject of the therapist? Children were unpredictable, he knew that. He'd seen the dissociation Roman had exhibited and he wasn't so sure Remus, even with all of his desperation to please, would be particularly positive either.

"Boys, you all done there?" He asked, poking his head into the laundry room to see them actually folding the clothes. "Oh wonderful! I've got some news for you both, if you're free?"

Remus waited for Roman as always, and when Roman nodded he did too, following Patton out to the kitchen table where Patton can push some small info booklets from Emile's practice over to them to browse through. "So I talked to Dr Picani, like I said I would to you, Roman. He has some time today at lunch. And we haven't had a chance to chat about it yet Remus, but he's offered you a spot too, if you're ready to join us today? It's just an informal meeting, so you can ask him questions and see if you'll get along with him. We'd need to go in about an hour, what do you boys think?"

There was a long silence as the twins both stared at their pamphlets. Patton waited with unending patience, before clearing his throat when the silence dragged on. "Would you prefer to have a chat about it together without me?" He suggested softly, and Roman's quick nod confirmed his suspicions.

They were a united front against the world. It didn't surprise him that this perceived threat warranted a discussion.

Patton left them to it and absolutely did not eavesdrop. He felt the temptation to, of course he did. He was human and he was trying to parent two hurt boys that were fresh out of an incredibly toxic home environment. Eavesdropping could provide valuable information that could help him understand and look after them better.

But it wasn't worth it to betray their trust like that. He made sure they could hear him move into the kitchen to set the kettle on, texting Emile with an update and catching up on some news on twitter before Remus appeared in the doorway to fetch him. The boy shifted from foot to foot, rubbing the back of his head, and mumbled that they'd talked it over, if he'd like to hear what they had to say.

"Of course," Patton replied, patting Remus's shoulder on the way into the room.

"We'll go," Roman said immediately, before Patton had even had a chance to sit down. "But we might not like it."

"Understandable."

"And we just want to ask questions. We don't want to answer anything today."

"There may be intake forms, but that's absolutely something for you to discuss with Dr Picani. I won't be involved in the process apart from as your lift either way."

"... You won't ask?" Roman checked, narrowing his eyes with what looked like a mix of suspicion and genuine confusion. "You won't get him to tell you?"

Patton had to fight not to gasp at the idea. "No!" He said firmly instead. "That would be not only disrespectful to both of you, but also breaching the confidentiality of therapy. If you boys stay and you want to we can discuss a group session for all three of us together. It can help to improve communication between family, but apart from that your sessions would be your own."

He wanted to ask so badly, if their parents had done that, but he had to leave that to Emile. Patton knew the value of trust and he knew the value of keeping things separate, and trying to pry into their lives now would never work. If they chose to say something, to come to him then it would be amazing and beautiful and precious, but to force it would be to tell them he was just there to fix them. Not to be the parent they truly required.

Not that Patton didn't hope that would happen one day; he was an excellent and enthusiastic giver of hugs. And he missed his hugs sessions with Thomas a lot.

The twins shared a glance and Remus shrugged, leg bouncing under the table, fingers picking at his lip. "So we'll go in an hour and talk to this doctor, and then...?"

"Whatever you like. I'm thinking we could go out for the day tomorrow, so if you wanted to just go to the park or hang out around here this afternoon that's cool. What were you two thinking?"

"P-"

"I want to stay here," Roman spoke over his brother. Remus didn't even react apart from to stop talking and immediately close his mouth, looking at his brother. Patton breathed deeply.

"Okay. And you, Remus?" He asked softly, keeping the tone as even as possible so Roman didn't interpret it as a jab.

Remus shrugged. "Here is fine," he said, casting a small glance and a smile at his twin.

"Alrighty then. Maybe we can grab some lunch on the way back first then. Alright guys, I'm going to go and do some office time, be ready in an hour, if you can. Don't worry about bringing anything with you but yourselves now!"

* * *

Dr Emile Picani was, in Patton's humble opinion, one of the best child- and indeed adult- therapists in the state, if not the country. He smiled that same relaxed, slightly sheepish smile when he saw the three of them walk in, greeting Patton with a hug and asking the boys for their names without trying to force any contact. Patton could see him analysing quickly in his head as he gathered insignificant bits of information, like age and school year, putting them at ease and probably running through the list of observations Patton had sent ahead.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go in! Who wants to go first?" He said, while Patton filled out their forms with the receptionist. "No takers? Okay, why don't we go by alphabetical order, so that's you then Remus. Is that okay?"

Remus nodded, but Patton caught the faint gulp out of the corner of his eyes and offered the boy a reassuring smile when wide eyes found his, before the pair headed into Emile's room. Roman sloped off to the waiting area chairs and pointedly ignored Patton when he sat nearby, playing something on his phone.

"Do you think he's okay?" He asked abruptly about five minutes in. "He's not good with questions, or like, direct stuff. Maybe you should check on him."

Patton glanced up. "I'm sure he's fine. Em- Dr Picani is a professional, and if Remus was uncomfortable he would end the meeting and bring him out."

"Yeah but what if he can't _tell_ , you know? What if he thinks Remus is just being super quiet or something?"

"Roman, it's alright, can you try and take a few deep breaths for me?"

"Because he's super quiet around new people, you're like, a weird anomaly, and he gets panicked real easy and what if Dr Picani says the wrong thing-"

"Roman,"

"Cause it's easy to do that, I do that sometimes and I should know! I know what he's like but Dr Picani doesn't I-"

"Roman, I'm going to hold your hand okay?"

Roman looked at him with wide eyes. "Okay," he gasped, squeezing tight when Patton grasped his fingers.

Patton shuffled closer and waited for Roman to look at him again. "I'm going to put your hand on my chest so you can feel my breathing, alright? I'd like you to try and copy my breathing. There's no rush, just try and copy along. There you go."

They breathed and breathed together. The receptionist gave Patton a glance but he shook his head, wary of trying to introduce anyone else in to help with Roman's panic attack. The boy stared almost without blinking at his face, until his chest didn't heave anymore but rose and fell in a more reasonable rhythm.

He whined very quietly under his breath, and Patton smiled at him. "That was awesome, well done. Thank you for letting me help, Roman." The teenager nodded at him quickly, and yanked his hand back when the door to Emile's room opened and the doctor led Remus out.

"Oh, Ro..." Remus whispered, hurrying to his twins side to hug him while the adults shared a long glance. "It's okay, it's not really scary at all! Dr P was really nice, and I felt okay, and I'll be waiting here the whole time, right?" He looked to Patton for a nod of confirmation, quickly supplied. "See?"

Roman was still shaky but he let Remus help him up and over to the door, glancing back just before Emile closed it on them.

* * *

Remus wasn't a whole lot better, being kept from his brother, but perhaps the knowledge of what was going on behind the door helped because he mostly sat and played with the kid's block toy that seemed to be in every waiting room ever, occasionally asking Patton questions like,

"How long will he be?"

"Probably a few more minutes, if it's much like yours."

And,

"Is Dr Picani really like that, or is it just, y'know, to make you feel better?"

"Might be a bit of both kiddo. He's a real softie, but he is a professional and he is there to make you feel comfortable, right?"

"Right, right."

And lastly,

"Patton?"

"Mm?"

"Do you go to therapy too?"

Patton closed his book and sat forwards to answer Remus's innocuous question properly, feeling the weight of the attention Remus was pretending wasn't trained directly on his answer. "I do, Remus. I try to see Dr Picani when I can, and when I had Thomas we used to go to him together as well. I sometimes go extra, if I need the support once in a while. In fact, while you guys have your meeting with Remy this Friday I think I'll give Dr P a visit, so I can talk to him about what's going on in my life too."

"Oh."

"Oh?"

Remus blanched. "No I mean, I just thought you were... like, not like us."

Oh dear. Patton raked his fingers through his hair. "What do you mean by that one, kiddo?"

But Remus wouldn't answer, just shrugging and turning back to discovering and rediscovering the path of the orange block from one end of the wire to the other.

Roman wasn't exactly smiling when he came out, but nor did he have the same edge of panic to him as when he'd entered. He kept glancing at Emile with the same slightly puzzled expression Remus was, while Emile happily ignored the attention and evenly explained the next steps, bidding them all a good afternoon.

"So, who wants to grab food on the way home?" Patton asked, breaking the awkward silence that followed Emile's departure.

The boys lit up, and although they were subdued on the way back they seemed mostly to be lost in thought. Patton would take it as a win for now, and hope that when he asked later they both gave him positive answers to going back again.

If they stayed, of course.

He really hoped they stayed. He was already so attached...


	6. Endings and Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have that talk with Remy. Feelings are felt, voices are heard, decisions are made.

The last couple of days before the review with Remy flew by, and before the three of them knew it they were piling into Patton’s car to make the trip back to the halfway house for the meeting. Patton dropped the boys off and waved to Remy, before heading for a session with Emile of his own. Traffic willing he’d be back in time for his own meeting with Remy after the twins had had their chance to go through everything with the other adult.

Roman jumped out of the car quickly without a backwards glance, and Remus hurried to follow him. “You think he’s really going to Dr Picani? You think he really has therapy too? You think he wasn’t just saying that? You think-”

“Oh my god Remus, I don’t think anything about him, okay?!” Roman burst, reaching out to squeeze his brother’s hand when Remus quickly wilted away from him. “I don’t care about Patton. He’s just a guy. I wish you wouldn’t-” he stopped himself with a sigh, shaking his head. “Never mind. Let’s get our story straight. So he’s great, but we don’t feel much of a click. Too pushy, maybe he’s playing favourites?”

Remus’s hand withdrew from his own and he turned to look at his twin in surprise, stood on the doorstep.

Remus shifted in place and wrung his hands together. “I don’t want to come back here,” he said, quietly but with an undercurrent of determination.

“What?” Roman asked, surprise turning to shock turning quickly towards frustration. “What do you mean? You don’t want to stay, do you?!”

“Actually,” his twin replied. “I do. I like Patton. He gives good hugs.”

“And that’s not creepy or weird at all…”

“It’s not! He’s a nice person! You’re just jealous because you’re too stubborn to say you want hugs too!”

“I am not! You’re just messed up from mom and dad and-”

“Boys.” They snapped to attention, turning to face a stern-looking Remy. “Pump the breaks. Do either of you need a cool down before we get started?” He waited, looking them one by one in the eyes until they both had shaken their heads. “Then find a seat in my office, you know where you’re going. Remember your counting exercises and try and avoid shouting until I get there?”

They slunk into the office at the end of the hall and Remy took a moment to just breathe calmly before following them.

* * *

When the door shut, Roman immediately started talking, trying to clear the situation up and get this whole stupid interview process over and done.

“I was just overwhelmed, Remy, with everything that’s happened! Patton’s been…” dramatic pause; sell this Roman, “He’s been _fine_ , and he’s been very nice to _Remus_ …”

Remus glared at him. “That’s not fair.”

“Am I lying?” Roman asked archly, folding his arms. “He’s been fine, and he’s been very nice to you!” He bit down the smirk that threatened to spread too early. He hadn’t won this yet.

“But you’re saying it like it’s not true! And he’s been really nice to you too! You just don’t like him because… I don’t know why! Because he likes me, maybe?! Because you don’t want to be second favourite ever! Well screw you, Roman, I can be lov-”

Roman lunged for him and Remy had to step in, moving in between the two to block their arms. “Woah, hey! Remus, go grab a glass of water and take a lap around the garden, okay kid? I think it’s best I talk to Roman quickly.”

“But Patton is really nice! He’s gonna tell you he’s awful but I don’t want to come back here I want to stay-”

“Okay, I’ll hear it when you’re back, okay? No decisions without both of your opinions, remember?”

Remus sniffed and nodded, shooting Roman a nasty look before he vanished.

The quiet that fell in the room made Roman wilt more than the even gaze Remy levelled at him. It stretched, as Remy waited and waited, and Roman inevitably burst. He’d always been the talker of the two.

“I’m not just jealous, okay?! I’m really happy for Remus, sure, but Patton is a dick! He doesn’t- he thinks he’s already our dad! And he made us do therapy and he made me feel shitty and I like it here, why can’t we stay here?!”

Right. Remy pulled his glasses off to clean them on his tshirt as he gathered his thoughts. “Okay, sounds like you’ve got a lot of feelings. But Roman, listen. We talked about this already; you can’t stay here. You really can’t, there are other kids who need the emergency space, and Patton really wants to make this work with you both. He wants to keep you together, and I think that’s exactly what you wanted too, right?

You know you have to go to some kind of therapy, we already talked about that after the first one. Did you have a bad time with Dr Picani?”

Roman shook his head. “But I didn’t want to go! I had a panic attack and he made me do it anyway! That’s ab-”

“Roman.” Remy looked at him sternly. “Are you accusing Patton of hurting you, because that is something I take very seriously.”

The boy sitting beside him chewed on a fingernail, his leg starting to jump up and down quickly, but he shook his head.

As he replied, Remy stood up to fetch the kid a glass of water from the tray on his desk, handing it over so Roman had something to hold, more than anything. “Okay, good. Now I have a pretty good idea what Remus is going to say he wants to do, and I don’t think either of us will change his mind. Patton can have that effect on people. Not you though, so what’s got your back up about him?”

“Ugh,” Roman groaned. “I just don’t like him, okay? Does it have to be for a reason?”

“For me to consider it as evidence not to house you there, yes it does. If it’s bad vibes, then I will listen to it but Roman, I’ve got Remus looking more excited than ever before, and Patton does have a great track record. I trust him. And I’d like for you to be able to trust him too, even if you don’t like him. Is that something you could see yourself doing?”

The office went quiet yet again, interrupted by Remus knocking on the door. “Think about it,” Remy said gently, standing up to let the second twin in.

“Whatever he said, he’s wrong,” Remus muttered quickly, quelled by Remy’s warning look.

“That’s as maybe, but I’d rather hear just your thoughts this time, Remus. How did you find the week? Oh, sit there, that’s fine,” he nodded to the armchair he normally sat in.

Remus sat gingerly, pulling a leg up onto the cushions to hug. “I liked it. His house is nice, and he let me decorate my room even though he didn’t know if we were staying. And he gives me hugs, and we have a chore list, but he does chores too! And we had proper food all the time, and he said he’d teach me to cook if I wanted, and there’s even a garden and I really like it there Remy please can w- can I go back?” His eyes cut over towards where his brother was sat, stiff as a board but keeping quiet, but he didn’t apologise for the correction.

It sounded like things would be just fine, if only Roman could get himself to a place where he was comfortable with Patton, Remy thought. But honestly, hadn’t that been part of the problem with every home they’d tried? Roman had decided he didn’t want to be there before they’d even gone. It was a minor miracle that Patton had apparently won Remus over enough to make such an impact before Roman could turn him to his side as usual.

Alone, it wasn’t necessarily a good sign, because Remy knew kids could have excellent instincts for this stuff that he had on occasion not seen himself, but… it was hard not to write it off as Roman’s usual dramatics. Which is most likely was, but there was always a deeper reason with the kids that ended up in his halfway house.

“Alright, thank you Remus. Roman, would you like to share your thoughts, without using biased words? Sticking to factual statements can be easier to sort through.”

“Oh you want to hear from me now?” Roman muttered rebelliously, but when Remus snorted in annoyance he started talking. In a monotone, and very begrudgingly, but it counted in Remy’s book. “Patton’s house is clean, and the bedroom is… fine. We eat, and um, therapy was okay. It was scary but-”

“Try and stick to facts, Roman, please.”

“Fine. We went to therapy. I slept, and stuff was like, normal. I dunno.”

Could that be considered progress? Perhaps. “Do you both feel safe with Patton? Does he take care of your basic needs?”

They nodded, one fast and eager, the other short and reluctant.

“Well boys, I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to you to hear that I’m very much inclined to sign off on this as a long-term placement. I think you’ll be safe there, and certainly it’s a bonus that a single foster parent is happy to take the both of you for the next few years. You’ll still have the odd check in, but Patton already let me know he’s more than happy to take you home again today. Therapy is something I’d encourage you both to take full advantage of; Dr Picani is very good at what he does, even if he’s just a willing ear to hear you out when you go, okay?”

“Sure,” Remus nodded. “He really likes cartoons too, and Patton said we could watch Avatar with him so we know what Dr P is talking about, and some other things as well but I don’t remember those, and I might be able to do sports this year, and-”

Roman might have rolled his eyes, but Remy made a note of the way he relaxed and watched as his brother enthusiastically told the adult about all the things he was excited for. It was a very good sign.

* * *

When Patton arrived a quarter of an hour or so later, he looked calm in the way Remy recognised as being a common after-effect of Emile’s sessions. He greeted the boys warmly, and gave Remus an enthusiastic hug when he shyly asked for one.

“What’s the verdict then?” He asked, although he’d clearly seen their bags waiting by the door.

“We’re coming back!” Remus cried, bouncing on the spot like a puppy off for a walk. Roman just shrugged, but it was early days. Things wouldn’t change so soon, and the adults knew it.

Patton met Remy’s eyes over the boys’ heads and they smiled at each other.

“Go on, car’s open,” Patton said with a big grin, and the boys trudged off with barely a backwards glance at Remy. “Kids, huh?” He laughed, shaking his head.

“I’d rather they were looking forwards than still looking back,” Remy admitted, holding his hand out so Patton could shake it. “Good luck! If you need anything, you know my number. And Emile is-”

“Well briefed,” Patton assured him. “Thanks. Hopefully we won’t be seeing you soon!”

Remy watched as the car pulled out of the drive and off down the street, feeling a nice warmth of hope and success in his chest. That was the end of his journey with the boys, but he wished them nothing but luck for the road ahead. At least they had a good pair of hands to help them along.


	7. Whispers in the Witching Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting back on track for the twins, but reorientating your life doesn't come without it's share of scary thoughts. Remus has plenty. Patton is there to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heed the tags, a bit closer to implied abuse/neglect in here with the mention of not having eaten at various times.

A few weeks on found the twins more or less settled into their new home and life. Patton had been having meetings with their old school, once he'd discovered they'd been moved to a nearby local one when they'd been taken from their parents and put with Remy. It was looking good for them to return in January, and while Roman was pretty (secretly) stoked about the news Remus was… undecided.

Or actually really, really nervous. He was chewing his nails constantly, leg jittering almost as soon as he sat down on a chair, dreams haunted by weird anxious nightmares he didn't even remember.

One night it all got too much, and when he woke from yet another fitful sleep at 3AM he snuck out of bed and down to the kitchen, grabbing a mug of milk to try and quietly heat up in the microwave. It was a remedy that had got him through a lot of sleepless nights, back at their parents' house. A dash of honey, and a little sprinkle of cinnamon if there was some, and the warmth of it could fill an empty stomach or soothe the frantic inner parts of him that were working overtime on dread, like a hug from within.

All too soon though, Remus heard footsteps on the stairs. Shit. Hoping it was Roman, he peeled the kitchen door open a crack, revealing exactly the person he didn't want to see standing there, hand raised to open the door himself.

"Hey, kiddo," Patton murmured, rubbing at his eyes. "Can I come join you?"

Remus nodded, swallowing back the rising nausea of fear. Would he be in trouble for this?

"What are you having?" The adult wondered, leaning back against the counters and watching with a tired smile. "It smells good."

It took Remus a second to reply. "Um, hot milk, honey and… I don't remember if you have cinnamon," he said quietly, voice a little hoarse. Even that small effort at conversation was a little too much, and he gulped. Patton noticed, despite the time. He must have been tired, but he _noticed_. He always noticed.

Remus stepped into his arms without a second thought, accepting the warm, comforting hug that Patton gave him with a shuddering sigh. This was better than any mug of hot milk could ever be. 

For a few minutes there was quiet, as the adult held him and didn't say a word. It was comforting, nothing like the cold shoulder treatment he remembered. This silence was space, and patience, and empathy. "I'm scared," Remus admitted without prompting, burying his head in Patton's shoulder as though muffling the words would stop them spilling out. Patton just hummed softly and stroked his back in long, soothing motions up and down.

"What's got you scared, Remus?" He asked gently, never once moving to peel away or force him to show his face.

God.

Remus let out a sob. He really, really liked Patton. He couldn't manage to get the words out, swamped by too many vast oceans of emotions, clashing against one another, fighting for control. The arms around him anchored him safely above the water, keeping him full of air and warm despite the dark depths below, until at last the waters calmed.

"Remus?" Patton asked again, voice a little more concerned that time. "Oh baby, let me finish making your drink for you okay, why don't you go sit on the couch?"

Let go of Patton? No way. Remus shook his head, clinging on tightly, and Patton squeezed him gently. "Alright, I'll try and do it from here okay? All the mom and dad koalas manage it, it must be possible!"

The thought drew a little snort out of Remus, and he shuffled round to hug Patton from behind instead so he could free up his arms, listening to the soft clink of the spoon against the mug and the buzz of the microwave when Patton turned it on to heat the milk up, pretending to just be a baby koala. It was nicer than being Remus. He could cling and cuddle, and not even have to speak very much; just be coddled by his foster father. "C'mon," the adult said when it was all done and ready. "Couch is waiting."

The lamp in the living room illuminated the room in a nice warm, dim glow. Remus appreciated it when he nearly tripped on the big cushion on the floor Patton so often sat on, carefully stepping over it to curl up on the sectional. He was handed the mug and Patton tucked a blanket over both of them, curling his own legs up under himself and reaching over to gently stroke Remus's hair.

After another pleasant moment of peaceful and unweighted quiet, he spoke. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here and I'm ready to listen. If you'd rather forget and talk about it in the morning then we can do that too. Which do you prefer?"

"I, I want to tell you," Remus admitted. Because he did. He wanted to share his thoughts with this man and have them be validated and understood and get a hug, maybe. He wanted Patton to be proud, and to smile, and sharing was definitely the right way to get that to happen. Besides, he always felt better after Dr Picani's twice-weekly sessions, right? "It's school. I don't… I don't want to go back there."

"Okay," Patton said slowly, nodding along. "Do you know why, or is it just a feeling?"

Remus shook his head. "I know why. It's horrible. Everyone thinks I'm annoying and gross and the teachers think I'm stupid and they'd never let me on any of the sports teams and I don't have any friends and Roman was always-" he snapped his mouth shut quickly. No talking bad about each other, not when the other wasn't there to defend themselves. That was their rule. 

_One_ of their rules. But Roman had broken several others already, hadn't he? So- no. That was their rule, and Remus had to stick to it. 

He sipped at his drink instead, and tried to subtly shift closer over to Patton, who realised pretty soon what was happening and just lifted an arm for him to slide under comfortably. "Thanks for telling me, kiddo. I'll do some thinking and we can go over some plans to make things feel better when I've come up with some, how does that sound?"

"Sounds nice," Remus mumbled, eyes heavy when he blinked. The milk was working fast, combined with the outside warmth of Patton and the blanket. He felt... he felt tired again. It was a nice feeling. 

"And you let me know if you have any ideas too, okay? Remus? Alright let's just…" Patton carefully took the empty mug from the boy's hand as Remus yawned again, placing it on the side table and folding the blanket away. "Up to bed with you, kiddo, c'mon. It's late and you've got school tomorrow." He nudged the teenager until Remus pulled himself up and climbed the stairs to his room. He turned back at the door to give Patton a sleepy, grateful smile, before collapsing back into his bed at last, a lot more calm than when he'd awoken.

Neither Remus nor Patton heard the creak of Roman's door as it shut from the crack it had been open at. They were already on their way back to sleep, unaware of the second twin lying on his bed, glaring up at the ceiling and forcing himself not to sniff out loud. So what if Remus had chosen to go to Patton instead of him? That was a good thing. 

Roman was really, truly, happy for his twin. Honest. 


	8. You Only Have To Ask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's November in America, which can mean only one thing. Unfortunately the whole traditionally family holiday thing could end up being a tricky subject for two teenagers in foster care...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Lashing out, conflict, cursing.

It felt like no time at all before it was Thanksgiving and the boys were off for break. Not the best timing to have such a family orientated holiday, but Patton was determined to make the best of it. 

Making the best of it here meant; handling the whole thing as delicately and sensitively as possible, and mentally and emotionally preparing for the inevitable slip ups to come. They'd had a similar issue with Thomas all those years ago (who had called to say he was going to work over Thanksgiving at his college and come back for Christmas instead), and Patton winced when he thought back on it. At least this time he had Emile on standby if things took a real turn for the worse, a whole heap more experience, and a better understanding of what the actual underlying issues were for both twins. 

But the best weapon he had at his disposal was the two boys themselves. It would be harder to misstep if they'd chosen the route, after all.

"Hey, so Thanksgiving is in a few days, and I wanted to know your guys' thoughts on things. Can we have a house meeting?" He asked them, finding them both hanging out in front of Netflix that rainy afternoon.

"Sure," Remus agreed easily, hopping up from the cushion. "Here or somewhere else?"

"Here is fine," the adult smiled, ruffling Remus's hair. "Sit yourself back down kiddo, no harm in being comfortable."

Roman seemed less convinced, as always, but now that Remus was asserting himself more and more he seemed to have lost a lot of his momentum in his instinctive fight against Patton. He didn't move, but did tap the remote to pause the show they had on and turned his head vaguely towards the other couch that Patton fell onto. Little victories…

Options. "Right! So I did things a certain way before you guys got here, but I'm not stuck on tradition or anything, if there's a better way you want to celebrate. If you even feel like celebrating at all?"

In the quiet Remus shifted, thinking hard if the frown on his face was anything to go by. Roman inspected his fingernails and turned his phone round a few times, glancing at his brother first. It was interesting, if a little worrying, to see the reversal of roles from how they'd been when he'd first met them both. Something to mention to Emile perhaps, when they broached the family therapy session subject.

Eventually Remus cleared his throat. "Um, can we take some time to think about it? I have a lot of thoughts and I want to make sure they're all sorted out first."

"Why don't you just say you want a nice happy family Thanksgiving?" Roman mumbled. "We all know you do."

"Maybe I _don't_ , you don't know that!"

"I think I do."

"Well you're wrong! I want- I don't know what I want yet. And that's okay too, isn't it Patton?"

Hurdle number one. Okay, take on this obstacle without overthinking it, Patton, c'mon. "That's right. It's better to take some time than to react instinctively and regret saying something later. Sometimes you need to but-"

"Oh stop with the fucking psycho-babble!" Roman hissed, jumping up and running off. His feet thundered up the stairs and his door banged loudly when he got to his room, and Patton took a moment to re-examine the hurdle. Maybe it was a little more like an iceberg in a water obstacle, mostly hidden below the surface…

"He's always so mad!" Remus whispered, looking at the door his brother had vanished from with big eyes and a scrunched nose. "I don't know why but I think- do you think he hates me now?" He asked, and Patton just had to slide down to the cushion on the floor and offer his arms so the teenager could hide his sniffles in a hug.

"No, kiddo," Patton soothed him gently. "I think there's a lot going on and he's finding the easiest way to let it out. Mostly we do that when we're scared, and I don't know for sure, but there's a lot Roman could be scared of right now, don't you think?"

Remus shrugged.

"Whatever it is it's not something you've done, alright? You keep thinking about your ideas for now and I should go talk to Roman. I think maybe he might need a hug too and I'd like to offer."

"But shouldn't I be the one to do that?"

Patton cupped the back of his curly head, full to the brim with tender fondness. "Oh kiddo, that's real good of you. You're all kindness inside aren't you? But let me look after Roman for a bit now, and maybe you can offer him a hug too, in a little bit? I bet he'd appreciate you thinking of him."

"Okay," Remus agrees, letting go and sitting in Roman's spot on the couch.

"Okay."

* * *

The knocking went unanswered for a while. Patton tried a couple of times before he resorted to talking through the door, much as he disliked having to. Boundaries were one thing, but just allowing Roman to feel like he had all of the control in the situation could be as damaging as the opposite. And really it wasn't so much that he needed to be _controlled_ as parented. Structure and guidance at Roman's age was invaluable, and now he'd decided to stop his sports as well there would be a loss of sorely needed routine that Patton was just hoping would transfer over to his performance club instead.

"Roman?" He called at last, softly. "I'm going to come inside so we can talk, alright?"

After giving Roman a moment to gather himself Patton pushed the door open and walked in, closing it again behind himself. "Hey Roman," he greeted the boy sat on the bed. He had his knees hugged up tight to his chest and he was glaring at the bedspread. "So. That was kind of a lot you put out downstairs. You wanna-"

"Oh cut the _crap_ , Patton, I was being a brat. Why can't you just come out and say it?" Roman snapped.

"Because that's not helpful wording. And you're a teenager with trauma, Roman, I'm not gonna lie and say everything is okay, you could certainly hold the cursing a bit, but some outbursts are kinda inevitable."

"I said mean things."

"Yes. And why did you do that?" Patton wondered, sitting at the desk chair in the room. "Was it because you wanted something to happen?"

"No I-" the teenager faltered, before renewing his scowl. "It's none of your business."

"Well, that's sort of _not_ true. I'm your foster parent now, Roman. You are my business, and when you're hurting it's my job to try and help you out."

"Well, I'm so sorry you got stuck with that."

Patton sighed. "Can I come sit with you for a sec, kiddo?" He asked, rubbing his hands over his knees. Roman rolled his eyes and shrugged in the same movement, shifting over very slightly and curling up even tighter somehow, looking as small as Patton had ever seen him.

"Dunno why you're even asking. It's your house," he muttered, and the adult took a moment to regroup.

"So, I think we've got a little mixed up somewhere," Patton began after a moment, perching on the edge of the bed beside Roman. "Because I'm not 'stuck' with you. I chose to take you and your brother because I wanted to help, and I wanted to help _you_ boys. And that goes for both of you. I know we don't necessarily have the same friendship that Remus and I do, but that's okay. I'm not judging you differently for it, alright? I'm really not, but-"

"Kinda feels like you are." 

"... Do you really feel that way?" Patton asked softly, a little horrified that the thought had even crossed Roman's mind. 

"Well, yeah! I mean, you never try and hug me, or ask me to help in the kitchen, or touch my hair, or like, call me kiddo or have stupid _midnight chats_ with _me_. You're just all over Remus and his stupid need to please! You're probably fucking him up even more, you know?! He won't even talk to me anymore, he just worships _you_ , and that's not fair! You can't steal him! It's not fair!"

"Oh Roman, gosh. We'll," he cleared his throat quickly. "We'll go through some of that in a moment but right now I _do_ want to hug you, real bad. Can I?"

Roman just nodded, and folded like a house of cards when Patton wrapped his arms around him, toppling over into his lap. He was clearly crying but Patton tried to allow him the dignity of not fussing too much. Except maybe, that's where he'd been going wrong so far? 

"There, it's okay, you cry it out baby, alright?" He murmured, stroking Roman's hair slowly. It only made him sob all the heavier, and Patton closed his eyes and prayed it was cathartic and not traumatic. He waited until the boy in his lap had mellowed to sniffles and lying limp, before helping him sit up again, and reached for the box of tissues on the nightstand to start helping him clean his face up. "Oh sweetheart. Everything that I do with Remus, that's on the cards for you too, okay? Anything we have, it's not that he's earned it or I like him more, he just asks. All you gotta do is ask, and I'm so sorry you didn't know that before. I'm really sorry I didn't make it clear and you felt like you were being treated different.

I know you've got boundaries and I wanna respect them, because that's important too, so you gotta communicate with me if you want something to change, alright baby? I won't judge, I won't be upset or annoyed or disappointed if you want to change that, and I won't take a yes to a hug today to mean you'll want one tomorrow, you understand? These are your boundaries. I won't cross them, but you can step over and back whenever you like. That's what they're there for." 

Roman gazed at him with his cheeks all blotchy and Patton fought not to well up in empathy. "I think it's best if we all start seeing Dr P. for some group stuff sooner rather than later, don't you? Help give you guys some of the words or tools you can use for times like these?" Patton suggested, brushing away a stray eyelash dislodged onto Roman's cheek by the tears. "Cause there's a few things you just said that I really want to make sure I don't do. Like taking Remus from you, that's not my goal, y'hear? But I also won't deny him what he needs when he asks for it, and you guys will have to figure that part out between yourselves. Can you try and do that?"

The head in his hands nodded slowly, and when he moved to pull away Roman stopped him, shyly giving him a blink and holding onto his wrists. Patton waited, silently willing Roman to find the words, cheering him on with a little encouraging smile until the teenager managed to croak out a quiet request for him not to go just yet. 

"Of course, Roman. You want a hug again, or something else?"

"Can you just, sit here and keep doing this?" Roman asked, and oh boy could Patton oblige. The swelling of his heart in his chest powered every muscle in his body with pride and joy, and it was all he could do to just nod and keep gently brushing his thumbs over Roman's cheeks as the boy breathed and closed his eyes, giving in to the need for comfort. 

* * *

They would come back to the Thanksgiving question later on, and decide that maybe choosing a movie or video game and having a fun night in could work for all three of them, picking their favourite snacks. They ended up playing hours of a hard-fought Smash Bros tournament that Patton spectacularly lost but thoroughly enjoyed, especially when Roman outlandishly cheated by leaning across him to sabotage Remus's controller, turning a slightly shy grin his way when the adult just laughed at the audacity. The twins camped out in the living room together that night too, and when Patton finished in the bathroom later on and made the walk back to his bedroom, he could hear soft whispers and giggles from down the stairs, and smiled in relief. 

A better Thanksgiving he couldn't have asked for, as the first of many to come.


	9. The Start Of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Epilogue, of sorts.

After Thanksgiving everything settled somehow. It wasn't always smooth, or fun, and there were awkward moments and times when Patton had to stop himself instinctively calling Emile for help. No matter how difficult Thomas had been and how well prepared that made Patton feel, these two boys were different and double the work.

It was rewarding though; when Roman casually threw his legs up across Patton's lap for the first time while watching Remus teach him how to play Rocket League. Or when Remus slept through the night and came down in the morning beaming with delight. And when the boys emerged from their less frequent joint sessions red-eyed but smiling, leaning on each other for the entire car ride home. And also when they cooked together and teased each other and didn't freeze up as soon as Patton arrived. 

The school discussion was ongoing, but Patton was determined to get the best outcome for both of his boys. Roman was no longer hiding how excited he was to be going back to see his friends, and had taken to singing around the house as he prepared for what he said would be the chance of a lifetime to audition for the next semester's production. Remus was still anxiously awaiting the final nod to get some extra help in class, and to meet with his teachers with Patton (ostensibly so Patton could explain to them the home situation, but mostly so he could eyeball the shitty ones and take stock of which would be allies in the continuing fight against management to get them to shift perspective on Remus from troublemaker to traumatised child the same as his brother). 

So really, December was about as good as it could be. It gave Patton hope for the future, and joy to see the incremental progress so far. The boys were working so hard, and he was so very fond of them after just a month and a half of having had them under his care. It still made him burn with rage whenever something they said or did alluded to how things had been with their parents, but he made sure to let that rage fuel his motivation to do better, to be better for them. And day after day, they made it worth it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @croftergamer on Tumblr for the prompt for this way back when, that I just knew I couldn't oneshot and ended up turning into this little thing! 
> 
> Thanks to all of you who've read, kudosed, subscribed and commented on it over the last 8 chapters; seeing the love for this story really kept it going a lot longer than I thought I would manage! 
> 
> Thanks to the characters (is that totally cheesy? ah let's enjoy the cheese) for behaving and letting me write something relatively frequently and decently interestingly!!!
> 
> And lastly; this is far from the end! I have a few little extras planned that will go into a separate story, linked to this one by series, so subscribe to the series if you want those updates sent on to you! It will be going onto my promptable fic list on Tumblr (check the link in my bio and you'll see what I mean) so if there are any specific scenarios anyone would like then they can be asked for! (again check the link in my bio first, there are a few rules for prompts!)


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